White Walls
by inkyindigo
Summary: Naruto comes to see Sasuke every day, until visiting hours are over.
1. Monday

Sasuke can play guitar.

Naruto had seen it hiding in his closet before, half hidden by the row of dark clothes. It wasn't until he popped in for a visit and saw Sasuke quietly picking at the strings that he even knew he could play.

"Well, well!" Naruto let his backpack fall to the floor and ran to the bed before Sasuke could stow it away. "You're a musician now? Come on, Sasuke, can't you leave _any _girls for the rest of us?"

Sasuke moved to dangle his legs off the side of the bed and set the guitar down to lean against the mattress. "Did you want something, Naruto?"

"Algebra day, remember?" Naruto pulled a notebook out of his pack and waved it like a flag. "But this junk can wait." He climbed onto the bed next to his friend and flashed him a smile. "Play something!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No."

"Come on!" Naruto stretched out the last syllable until Sasuke's left eye started twitching. Bingo.

"If I do, you have to _shut up."_

Naruto zipped his lips and tossed an imaginary key over his shoulder. Sasuke reached down to pick up the guitar and cradle it in his lap. It was a beautiful instrument; the wood moved out from the sound hole in rich, dark rings. He stroked his thumb across the strings and Naruto watched in fascination as his fingers moved gracefully to start a collection of bright sounds ringing.

"I really hate you," Naruto said when he'd finished.

"That's the only song I know," Sasuke said. "It's the only one my dad taught me."

"Your dad? That's cool," Naruto said.

A brief touch on the subject. Back away. Naruto knew the drill.

Sasuke stood up to put the guitar back in its hiding place. "Algebra?"

"Oh, right!" Naruto flipped through his notebook and pulled a pen out of his pocket.

He and Sasuke didn't go to the same school, but it was painfully obvious that Sasuke was much smarter than he. Naruto had been to Sasuke's school once before. His teacher was nice, though a tad condescending. She taught him one on one, right in his room. Sasuke had school for only four hours each day and he was still three math levels ahead of Naruto. In his own defense, Naruto figured his grades would be better if he had a private teacher too, but considering the circumstances, he couldn't find it in his heart to be jealous. He knew Sasuke wished he could go to public school.

"So you finally started trig?" Sasuke said as he looked over Naruto's shoulder at the notebook.

Naruto punched his arm. "Shut up. We can't all handle _calculus._"

"You really shouldn't write your notes in pen." Sasuke handed Naruto a pencil. "How can you read them when there's scribbles everywhere?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"And Naruto?"

"_What?"_

Sasuke smiled sweetly. "You can use a calculator if you want. No need to strain your brain unnecessarily."

"I hate you."


	2. Tuesday

A little while after six o' clock, the power goes out.

Sasuke looked up at the dark lightbulb hanging over his head and fiddled with the lightswitch a few times. A glance down the hall told him the problem wasn't isolated to his room.

The furnace was quiet for the first time ever. Sasuke had spent many years hearing it outside his door and he'd stopped noticing it was there. The nights that he couldn't sleep were spent listening, until it started to sound like his mother's voice. He remembered hearing his parents talk downstairs after he went to bed, although he could never distinguish what they were saying. It was comforting to hear their hushed voices and to know they were close by. Sometimes Sasuke could fool himself into hearing those conversations in the furnace's white noise.

Now all was silent. Sasuke sat still on his bed, feeling like his ears needed to adjust. He could hear the sound of footsteps going up and down the hall, but no voices. He was tempted to walk outside and make sure the world was still there, and he didn't because his doctor would scold him. Sasuke wasn't supposed to leave unless he told someone first.

He strained his ears and heard someone crying. The sheets rustled when he stood up and Sasuke leaned his head close to the wall. Yes, the source was definitely the girl in the neighboring room. Number 4068. Schizophrenic. She was eleven years old and probably afraid of the dark. The first time Sasuke met her, she'd giggled and told him he was weird. Sasuke had replied, "I know."

"That's okay. I'm weird, too."

She loved it when Naruto came to visit. For a while, Sasuke thought he was going to have to share him with her.

"No, Sasuke," she'd corrected him. "He's _your _visitor. I already have my parents to visit me. It wouldn't be fair to take anyone else's visitor."

Sasuke told her he didn't mind, but she still only played with Naruto when they invited her.

The crying stopped and Sasuke assumed someone had calmed her down. He looked out the window and watched the sun hover half-submerged into the horizon. It's been quiet all day today. Naruto had called earlier and apologized profusely because he wasn't able to come see him. His dad was making him go out to dinner with the rest of his family.

"Don't worry about it. You visit me every day; you can have a day off."

Naruto sighed. "I'd rather be there. I think my aunt's a crazy person."

Sasuke snickered. "Then it would be no different if you _were _here."

"Ha, I guess you're right!" Naruto laughed, but when he spoke again, he sounded guilty. "I'm really sorry."

"Stop apologizing. It's fine." Sasuke knew he was lucky that Naruto wanted to visit him every day. He knew he was lucky someone was visiting him at all.

After two minutes, the lights came back on. Sasuke looked up when someone knocked on his door and a nurse poked her head in.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded. He wasn't afraid of the dark...

The furnace sounded very loud when it kicked in.

...the silence scares him a little bit, though.


	3. Wednesday

Sasuke shakes when he's scared.

His hands fisted themselves in the paper covering the table. If he wasn't careful, he was going to tear it.

"Don't look at it," Naruto reminded him. "Keep your eyes on me."

"I know."

Sasuke flinched when the nurse rubbed alcohol on his arm, close to his shoulder.

"My mom came over today," Naruto said to draw Sasuke's attention back to him.

"Really? Does that mean your parents are getting along better?"

"Yeah, they are." Naruto smiled.

Sasuke bit down on his lip as the needle entered his arm and Naruto squeezed his shoulder. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Sasuke glared at him. Naruto looked through the nurse's Band-Aid box and held up a bandage spotted with cartoon smiley faces. "How's this?"

"Come on, I'm too old for that!"

"Fine." Naruto picked out a plain band-aid and the nurse stuck it over his arm.

"Okay, Sasuke, you can go back to your room," she said.

Sasuke hopped down from the table and he and Naruto left the doctor's office. As they walked past the cafeteria, Sasuke tugged on Naruto's sleeve. "Can we eat? I'm hungry."

"Sure."

Naruto punched Sasuke's identification number into the keypad next to the salad bar, along with his own visitor number. "Go grab us a table," he told Sasuke. Naruto loaded a few plates up with food and joined Sasuke at a table.

"Can I have some cake?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

"Veggies first," Naruto said.

Sasuke pouted and sent a dejected look toward the plate of broccoli. Naruto hid a smile behind his hand. He was used to Sasuke acting this way, even if it was strange. The doctors called it repression. Or maybe it was regression? Naruto could never remember all the terms.

All he knew was that Sasuke was about eight years old when that day happened, the one that made a rift in his ego – or superego, whatever that thing in the psyche was called. Sometimes it made him revert back to that age. Naruto had been told not to treat him any differently than he normally would, because times like these were when Sasuke needed normality most.

When they finished eating, Naruto took Sasuke back to his room. "I have to go now, Sasuke," Naruto said.

Sasuke's face fell. "Oh…okay."

"I'll be back tomorrow, I promise," Naruto said, wishing visiting hours lasted longer. "Call me if you get scared, okay?"

Sasuke nodded. "Are Mom and Dad coming tomorrow, too?"

Naruto's stomach twisted. There was something else the doctors told him to do, whenever Sasuke asked that question, and he hated it. "Sasuke," he said gently, "your parents aren't here anymore."

The look on Sasuke's face broke Naruto's heart. "Did I…did I do something…?"

"No, no. You didn't do anything wrong."

Sasuke's lips trembled. "Don't they love me anymore?"

Naruto pulled him into a hug. "Of course they do! They didn't want to leave you, Sasuke." He felt Sasuke shake in reaction and blinked away the wet burning in his eyes.

Naruto hates these days.


	4. Thursday

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You really made my day!

* * *

On Thursday, Naruto comes in to find one of Sasuke's walls covered in Post-It notes.

Sasuke himself was kneeling on his bed, writing something on one of the yellow stickies.

"Whatcha doing?" Naruto asked.

"Hang on a minute."

Sasuke was chewing his lip, which meant he was thinking hard. Naruto knew he was on edge about something. He stayed quiet and let his eyes roam over the notes. Sasuke's usually perfect handwriting had dissolved into frantic scribbles, though it was far more legible than Naruto's penmanship.

_My mother's hair came to a few inches above her waist._

_I have __four __five cousins?_

_My father didn't smile often but I loved it when he did._

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat and turned back to Sasuke. He waited until Sasuke looked up before he spoke.

"Sorry," Sasuke said, pulling off a newly finished note and sticking it to the wall. "I had to write something down before I forgot it."

"What's with all the…" Naruto waved an arm at the wall in lieu of a proper phrase.

Sasuke leaned his chin on one raised knee and Naruto sat down on the bed across from him. "It's stupid," Sasuke said quietly.

"Sasuke, it's _me." _Naruto pointed at himself. "Moron of all morons. Like my stupid could even _compare _to your stupid."

A little smile peaked Sasuke's lips. "You're right about that." He ran his hand through the bangs on his forehead and Naruto noticed he looked tired. "When I woke up this morning, I realized I couldn't remember what color ribbon my mom used to wear. You know, the one she tied her ponytails with?"

Naruto grinned, thinking back to how his eight-year-old self had blushed upon first meeting Mikoto Uchiha. Sasuke's mother had been beautiful and Sasuke looked just like her.

"She wore that ribbon almost all the time," Sasuke went on, "but I couldn't remember what color it was." His fingers dug into the fabric of his jeans. "I was worried that I'd forget other things, since it's been so long. So I started writing them down, to help me remember."

"Your mom's ribbon was white," Naruto said. "It looked really nice because her hair was so dark."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment and chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't believe you remember that."

Naruto didn't mention that the reason he remembered was because of the glaring picture in the news report that people still whispered about. That photo of an innocently smiling Sasuke held in his mother's arms, his small fingers wrapped around the ribbon in her hair, still haunted him ever since it had appeared on TV.

"Let me help you with some of these." Naruto got up to get another pen and Sasuke peeled apart a few notes for him to use. This was good for Sasuke, Naruto thought, though there was one thing that worried him.

In all of the notes, there is no mention of Sasuke's brother.


	5. Friday

Sasuke is sane enough to know that he's not sane.

Not completely.

When the red-eyed shadow tried to come in through his window at night and he couldn't convince himself that it wasn't real, he knew.

When he woke up one morning to find his long deceased mother smiling at him from the kitchen, he knew.

When the world faded out for a few minutes and the clock said it had been hours, he knew.

It scared him, and he knew it scared Naruto. In his more bitter moments, Sasuke wondered how Naruto could stand to be around him, and maybe Naruto was only visiting him out of pity. Then he'd see Naruto's carefree smile and his teasing remarks, and Sasuke would wish more than ever that he could be like that. He wished he didn't need a friend's help to remember his own family.

Naruto looked over the note-covered wall again and felt satisfied with how much they'd been able to remember. "So, Sasuke," he began tentatively, "Will you write any about…you know…Itachi?"

Sasuke didn't look up from the notepad but Naruto saw the pen in his hand twitch as his fingers tensed. "Who?"

"Your…your brother, Sasuke."

Sasuke's head snapped up, his whole body going rigid. "I don't have a brother."

Naruto instantly knew he shouldn't have said anything, but it was too late to take it back. "Sasuke, don't you think you should—"

"Stop _looking _at me like that!" Sasuke's dark eyes burned and his hands clenched into fists. "I'm not made of glass and I'm not crazy!"

"I know you're not."

_Please, don't push me away, Sasuke._

There was a brief knock on the door and Sasuke's doctor, Tsunade, poked her head in. "Everything okay in here?"

Sasuke curled over his knees and his fingers dug into the hair over his ears. "Stop, _stop!_ Just leave, leave me alone!"

Tsunade reached for that familiar needle of sedative in her pocket and moved closer to the bed. "Sasuke, you need to calm down. I don't want to sedate you; just calm down, okay?" She motioned for Naruto to step back and he moved away from the bed, another surge of helplessness churning in his stomach.

Sasuke suddenly went still and dropped his hands. After a moment he looked up and his face was calm but for a bit of confusion. Tsunade touched his shoulder carefully. "Are you okay, Sasuke?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Sasuke rubbed under his eyes as if he had just woken up. "Do I need a check-up again?"

Tsunade smiled gently and held out her hand. "Yeah. Let's go do that."

Sasuke took her hand and slid off the bed. "No shots, right?"

"No, not this time."

Tsunade led him to the door and Sasuke turned to look at Naruto. "Hey, what's your name?"

Naruto felt his insides freeze and somehow his mouth formed a smile. "Naruto."

Sasuke smiled back, a childish grin that looked unnatural on his face, and waved over his shoulder. "Bye, Naruto! Don't worry, there's no shots today."

Naruto watches him leave and manages to hold it all in until he's safely outside.


	6. Saturday

An update for Sassycake. Happy belated birthday, dear.

* * *

Naruto is afraid to visit Sasuke the next day.

Seeing Sasuke look at him like he was a stranger was too painful. But it would be more painful if he just abandoned his best friend. Naruto made his decision the moment he remembered the innocent smile Sasuke had given him before he left. He could only pray that Sasuke would come back to him.

Naruto knocked on Sasuke's door, barely hearing the sound over the pounding of his own heart. The latch clicked on the other side and he held his breath.

Sasuke looked very tired when he opened the door. His eyes were shadowed with lack of sleep, but his face relaxed with relief. "Naruto."

Happiness filled up Naruto's heart until he thought it would burst. "Sasuke!" he stammered, a wide smile on his face.

Sasuke stepped to the side to let him in and Naruto squinted in the darkness of the room. "Let's get some light in here!" He opened the blinds, feeling significantly more cheerful. Sasuke winced and looked away, and in the light Naruto saw the lines of exhaustion on his face.

"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto stepped closer, his face twisting in concern.

"I'm fine," Sasuke murmured. "Just didn't sleep much." He sat down on the bed and Naruto sat next to him, letting his legs dangle. Sasuke leaned his head back against the wall.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you yesterday."

"That's all right."

Sasuke wrapped his arms around his stomach, a defensive position Naruto recognized. "I've never forgotten you before." His voice was weaker and Naruto realized it was from fear.

"But it's okay," Naruto assured. "You remember me now."

"For how long?"

Naruto had no answer. His eyes wandered around the room in lack of a response and he noticed the wall above Sasuke's head was bare again. "Sasuke, what happened to all your notes?"

"I took them down." Sasuke sighed and rubbed under his left eye. "I can't look at them right now. They're in there."

Naruto followed his gaze to the bedside table where a thin blue notebook rested. He looked at Sasuke and a nod gave him permission. Naruto flipped through the book and found all of the notes neatly stuck inside. The rest of the pages were blank.

"I have an idea," Naruto said. "I'll write you a letter in here. If you ever forget me, all you have to do is look inside." He grinned slightly. "Maybe it'll jog your memory. And while I do that…" Sasuke let out a sound of surprise as Naruto shoved his shoulder and sent him toppling back against the pillows. "You're going to get some sleep."

Sasuke hit him with a pillow. "Moron."

Naruto laughed and raised his hands to defend himself. He pushed the pillow back and settled himself at the foot of the bed with the notebook on his lap. Sasuke lay down just to humor him but soon felt his eyes close, soothed by the sound of a pen scratching softly across paper.

_Dear Sasuke…_

This time, Sasuke doesn't dream.


	7. Sunday

This is the last chapter.

I'm sorry this took so long to get out. I had trouble writing this one.

Thank you so much to everyone who has commented, faved, or read this story. I never expected to get so much feedback. You guys are awesome!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Love, Inky

* * *

Sasuke wakes up feeling rested.

The sun glowed warmly through the blinds in front of his window and Sasuke watched the slivers of blue sky and clouds for a few moments before he got up and dressed.

Visiting hours technically started at eight, but Sasuke was surprised that the knock on his door came this early. Of course, it could only be one person.

The door swung open before Sasuke reached it and Naruto stood there, his face set in a serious expression.

"Let's go."

"Huh?" Sasuke stared at him. "Where are we going?"

"Out." Naruto grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the hallway. He shut the door behind them and was off before Sasuke could say a word. "We're getting out of this place for a little while."

"I have to tell Tsunade—"

"Already did."

"What about supervision?"

Naruto turned his head to look at him without slowing down. "I'm your supervision. I already filled out all the paperwork."

"You're only fifteen, you can't be a supervisor."

"Well, Tsunade fudged the rule for me, and you're not an invalid," Naruto said.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "How'd you convince her to do that?"

"Hey, that old lady loves me!" Naruto stopped at the front door and reached in his pocket to make sure he had his keys. "Everything's taken care of, so let's go out and get some freaking sunshine. You're getting too pale."

The doors opened and Sasuke found himself wincing as bright sunlight met his eyes, which was ridiculous. He'd been living in a hospital, not underground.

When was the last time he'd gone outside? He couldn't remember.

"All right!" Naruto shoved a fist into the air as if he was leading a platoon. "She only gave me 'til six so let's get a move on!"

Naruto dragged him to Ichiraku's first, as he expected with all the hype about it he'd heard. Ramen wasn't his favorite food, but this was good.

Everything here was so…colorful. Sasuke felt out of place next to Naruto with his bright, smiling face, golden shock of hair and blue eyes. Sasuke felt very black and white, like a character in an untouched coloring book suddenly stuck into a Monet painting.

"So, what do you want to do?" Naruto said between mouthfuls.

Sasuke shrugged lightly. "I don't know the town very well."

"That's what I'm here for!" Naruto slurped up the last of his ramen and jumped up.

The streets were full of colors, sounds, and smells, so many it made Sasuke's head spin. His five senses felt underused and everything was heightened more than it should be. Naruto somehow noticed and walked more slowly, letting Sasuke take everything in. There were tastes too, as he expected from Naruto's love of food. Sasuke didn't possess anywhere near as great an appetite, but Naruto was more than happy to finish his leftovers.

Naruto seemed to know everyone and everyone seemed to know _Sasuke. _A few of the adults let their gazes linger on him and some were friendlier than expected of a stranger. Sasuke didn't let the sympathetic looks bother him. He had a feeling Naruto noticed them more than he.

Sasuke remembered things. He remembered his mother buying him a child-sized onigiri at one of the stalls. He remembered holding his brother's hand as they crossed the street. For a moment, he tried to picture Itachi's face. Dark hair and eyes, like him, but his hair was longer. Pulled back into a ponytail. Hints of dark circles under his eyes. Hidden smiles.

Later, with the pen in his hand shaking uncontrollably, Sasuke tried to write a letter. His back was against a tree and Naruto's hand was warm and comforting on his shoulder.

"Try starting with this," Naruto said. " 'Dear Itachi.' "

_Dear…_

It was so simple to write down that name.

…_Itachi._

Naruto smiled.

_It's your brother, Sasuke._


End file.
